About Us:

Hockey Fundraiser

Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012

About the Event

Please join us on Saturday Nov. 17 as we celebrate a day of Kent State hockey. The event begins with an alumni game at the Kent State Ice Arena, followed by the Kent State vs. University of Akron club game. After the game dinner will be on your own. We'll finish the evening with a concert at the Kent Stage featuring Mike Fornes as the lead singer of “Whispers of the North,” a Gordon Lightfoot tribute band. The entire event is dedicated to Don Lumley, the first Kent State Ice Hockey coach, and his wife Elaine.

Event Schedule

1 p.m. Alumni Game

2:30 p.m. Kent State Ice Hockey game vs. University of Akron

5 p.m. Dinner on your own

7:30 p.m. Gordon Lightfoot Tribute Concert at the Kent Stage

Tickets

There are two ticket options for the event:

Concert and drink ticket, $20 per person
This option includes admission to the concert and one (1) drink ticket at the Kent Stage.

Game ticket and concert, $30 per person
This option includes participation in the alumni game, a ticket to the club game, admission to the concert and one (1) drink ticket at the Kent Stage.
Click here to purchase tickets. You will receive a confirmation email after completing the transaction. A separate confirmation will be sent out with more details at a later date.

Alumni Game

The alumni game is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012. Each participant playing in the game will receive a jersey. There is no cost to play in the game, but we hope that all players returning this weekend will attend the concert on Saturday evening featuring Mike Fornes as the lead singer of the Gordon Lightfoot Tribute band.

If you plan on participating in the game, please email or mail Bill Switaj so we know in advance who is playing. For questions or additional information please contact Bill at 330-672-0780 or wswitaj@kent.edu.

About Don and Elaine Lumley

A tribute to Don and Elaine Lumley by Mike Fornes, vocalist, Whispers of the North

When the Kent State Ice Arena first opened in 1970, good things were bound to happen for hockey. But without Don Lumley, it's questionable as to exactly how things would have unfolded.

There was Steve Albert, who wanted to be a goaltender and a play-by-play announcer. There was Dan McDermott, who would help by keeping the books and playing defense. Herb Page could score goals and Mark Anderson would assist, plus keep everyone laughing besides setting up plays. Rae Metz would stop the puck. Period.

Sounds like the beginnings of a hockey program, right?

Don Lumley provided the organization, the discipline and the wherewithal -- the motivation -- to start a collegiate hockey program. Don was from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada eh? He had played at Boston University for Jack Kelly and won a national championship. He knew how to build a team, implement a system, schedule games, plan a budget. He knew how to teach the game and coach players. And he knew how to win.

In the coming years, the program would prosper and grow. Players, trainers, announcers and coaches would come to Kent State because of hockey.

Looking back, without Don Lumley then Steve Albert might not have had a team to announce during his last two years at KSU. Without Steve Albert and the team's great first season there wouldn't have been a Mike Fornes to follow in his footsteps and that means there wouldn't have been a Rick Peckham or possibly a Paul Steigerwald to continue the legacy of "the voice."

Without Don Lumley, it is likely that there wouldn't have been a Wayne Gowing following in from Boston University or a Ron Ivany from Ohio University or a Peter Maybury, who all coached and paved the way for others.

It is easy to say that the Cleveland hockey connection would have been present given KSU's geographical proximity, but the way Don Lumley handled players it was immediately a done deal.

When Doug Grange from Andover, Massachusetts and Dave Farlow from Stouffeville, Ontario would don a KSU uniform, Jeff Buller would come in from Cleveland. So would the Hauser brothers, the Budzicks and Jeff Knapp. That connection continued for years and years, and expanded to Toronto, Chicago and Detroit for future player talent.
Don Lumley was the father of it all and Elaine Lumley was there cheering us all on like she was our mother. When the program existed for the love of the game and the end of the season came, Elaine made sure everyone associated with the team got an award that she had made herself.

The Lumleys were there for the start of KSU hockey and nurtured the game, the program and all who were part of it.

Donate

Interested in making a donation to the Kent State Hockey Team? Visit the online donation page and fill out the donation form. Select "Let me decide where to designate my gift" then select "OTHER" from the drop down menu. Finally, enter "Ice Hockey Club 11031" into the text box.

You can also make a donation by contacting Bill Switaj at 330-672-0780 or wswitaj@kent.edu. Thank you for your support!

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